Lamar Jackson is a glitch. Honestly, there is no other way to describe what he has done to NFL record books over the last eight years. If you look at Lamar Jackson stats rushing data from his MVP seasons compared to now, you start to realize we are watching the greatest dual-threat peak in football history. People love to argue about whether he’s a "quarterback who runs" or a "runner who plays quarterback," but the numbers don't care about the labels.
He moves differently.
While most QBs slide at the first sign of a linebacker, Lamar treats the open field like a high-stakes game of tag where he's the only one who knows the rules. By the end of the 2024 season, he didn't just break the record for career rushing yards by a quarterback—he shattered the ceiling of what we thought a signal-caller could contribute on the ground.
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The Record-Breaking Reality of 6,522 Yards
Let's get the big number out of the way. As of the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, Lamar Jackson sits at 6,522 career rushing yards.
That is the most in NFL history for a quarterback. He officially passed Michael Vick (6,109 yards) during the 2024 campaign, a year where he looked arguably faster than he did during his first MVP run in 2019. It’s wild to think about, but he reached the 6,000-yard milestone in exactly 100 games. Vick needed way longer.
In 2024, Lamar was basically a cheat code. He finished that season with 915 rushing yards on just 139 carries. If you’re doing the math, that is a staggering 6.6 yards per carry. He led the entire NFL in yards per run that year. Not just QBs. Everyone.
Why the 2025 Season Felt Different
The 2025 season was a bit of a weird one for the Ravens' superstar. Injuries finally caught up to him a bit, limiting him to 13 starts. Because of that, the rushing totals looked a little "human" for the first time in a long while. He finished 2025 with:
- 349 rushing yards
- 2 rushing touchdowns
- 5.2 yards per carry
It was his lowest output since his rookie year, but context is everything. Even in a "down" year plagued by ankle issues and a shifting offensive line, he was still averaging more yards per carry than most elite running backs.
Breaking Down the 1,000-Yard Seasons
Most quarterbacks are lucky to have one season where they flirt with 500 rushing yards. Lamar has two seasons where he cleared 1,000 yards.
In 2019, he set the single-season QB record with 1,206 yards. Then he went out in 2020 and did it again with 1,005 yards. He is the only quarterback in the history of the league to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Justin Fields and Michael Vick have one each. That's the list.
The Consistency Nobody Talks About
We get blinded by the thousand-yard milestones, but the real magic is the floor. Between 2018 and 2024, Lamar had seven straight seasons with at least 600 rushing yards.
Think about the physical toll that takes.
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Most mobile QBs have a "shelf life." They run for three or four years, get popped a few times, and then suddenly they’re pocket statues. Lamar has managed to maintain a 6.0 career yards-per-carry average. That is the highest in NFL history for any player with at least 1,000 rushing attempts.
Beyond the Yardage: Touchdowns and Efficiency
Yards are great for fantasy football, but touchdowns win games. Lamar has 35 career rushing touchdowns as of the start of 2026.
He isn't a "vulture" like some QBs who just sneak it in from the one-yard line, either. His touchdowns are often 20, 30, or even 50-yard sprints where he makes three guys miss in the secondary. In 2024, he even hit a top speed of 21.25 MPH on a 48-yard touchdown run against the Texans. At age 27, he was still faster than almost everyone on the field.
First Downs: The Hidden Stat
If you want to know why the Ravens' offense is so hard to stop, look at the "1st Down" column.
- In 2019: 71 rushing first downs.
- In 2023: 48 rushing first downs.
- In 2024: 47 rushing first downs.
Basically, on 3rd-and-long, the defense can play perfect coverage, and it doesn't matter. Lamar just tucks the ball and picks up 12 yards. It is demoralizing for a defensive coordinator. He has 385 career rushing first downs. That’s nearly 400 times he has moved the chains with his legs instead of his arm.
Lamar vs. The All-Time Greats
When we talk about dual-threat QBs, the names are always the same: Vick, Cunningham, Newton, Young. But Lamar has moved into a category of his own.
Cam Newton had the size and the rushing touchdowns (75), but he never had the pure speed or the elusiveness of Jackson. Randall Cunningham had the "wow" factor, but he didn't have the consistent volume.
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Career Rushing Yards Comparison (End of 2025)
- Lamar Jackson: 6,522 yards
- Michael Vick: 6,109 yards
- Cam Newton: 5,628 yards
- Russell Wilson: 5,568 yards
- Josh Allen: 4,721 yards
Josh Allen is the only active player who feels like he’s in the same stratosphere, but even he does it differently. Allen is a power runner—a linebacker playing QB. Lamar is a point guard on grass.
The Myth of the "Running Back" QB
One of the biggest misconceptions about Lamar Jackson stats rushing is that he runs because he can't throw. That was the narrative back in 2018 when some scouts said he should move to wide receiver.
It was wrong then. It’s laughable now.
In 2024, Lamar became the first player in NFL history to put up 4,000+ passing yards and 900+ rushing yards in the same season. He also led the league in yards per pass (8.8) that same year. His rushing isn't a crutch; it's a weapon that makes his passing even more lethal. When he’s on the field, the defense has to keep a "spy" on him, which usually means there's one less person in the secondary to cover Mark Andrews or Zay Flowers.
What to Expect Heading into 2026
Lamar is 29 now. The 2025 injury bug was a reminder that even superheroes have a breaking point. However, the Ravens' system is built around his gravity.
Expect the 2026 season to be a pivot toward more calculated rushing. He doesn't need 150 carries a year anymore to be effective. If he can give the Ravens 500-600 yards of high-impact scrambles and keep defenses honest, he’ll remain the most dangerous player in the league.
Future Milestones to Watch
- 7,000 Career Yards: He needs less than 500 yards to hit this. He’ll likely do it by mid-season 2026.
- 40 Rushing TDs: He’s currently at 35. Five more is a very reasonable goal for a healthy season.
- The 1,000-Yard Trio: Can he get one more 1,000-yard season? It’s unlikely given his age and the Ravens' desire to keep him healthy, but you can never count him out.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking Lamar's performance or looking at his impact for the upcoming season, focus on these metrics rather than just the total yardage:
- Yards Per Carry (YPC): If this stays above 5.5, it means his explosion is still there despite the 2025 injuries.
- Rushing First Downs: This is the best indicator of how much he's bailing out the offense on broken plays.
- Red Zone Carries: Look at whether the Ravens are still using him as a primary threat inside the 10-yard line or if they are deferring to traditional backs to save him from hits.
To get the most out of your NFL Sunday, watch the "Spy." Before the snap, identify which linebacker or safety is assigned solely to Lamar. If that player freezes for even a half-second, Lamar is already five yards past them. That’s the real story behind the stats.